Sweatbox



April 1944- M. A. COTTER ,3 7

SWEAT BOX I i Filed Jan. 26, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet 1 lhventor: I Milk A. Guide];

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April 18, 1944; ,.M. A. cbTTizR I SWEAT BOX Filed Jan. 26, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n, ih

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H119 Afi'orney.

M 1 Ag April '18, 1944. CQTTER 2,346,827

' SWEATYBOX med Jan. 26, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet;

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Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,346,827 SWEATBOX Milton A. Cotter, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 26, 1942, Serial No. 428,232

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sweat boxes in which patients are given sweat baths.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a sweat box in which a patent may be given a sweat bath without any weakening effects.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a sweat box in which the patient may rest in a reclining position while taking a sweat bath.

Another object is to provide a sweat box which will admit fresh oxygen to the patient as fast as oxygen is used up by the patients skin, and will permit the waste gases from the patient to be expelled from the sweat box as fast as the pores of the patients skin throw ofi said gases, thus allowing the patient to sweat with the greatest comfort. Another object is to provide a sweat box mounted on casters, so that the sweat box, with a patient resting therein, may be rolled from a dressing room to a special room from which the sweat box and the patient therein may be rolled back into the dressing room after the patient has completed his sweat bath.

Another object is to provide a sweat box of the character state'clwhich'is collapsible, so that it may be readily taken down and stored in a .small space, or set up in position for use as Another object is to provide a sweatbox of the character stat-ed with improved steam distribution.

Another object is to provide a sweat box with a canvas top through which the sweat box is ventilated.

Another object is toprovide a sweat'box with a canvas bed for supporting the patient in a reclining position in the sweat box, whereby the patient rests while taking a sweat bath.

Another object is to provide a sweat box with openings in the top wall thereof, through which openings the patient may extend his hands when he desires to use them outside of the sweat box for any purpose.

Another object is to provide a sweat box in which the heat may be controlled by the patient inside of the sweat box, or by a nurse outside of the sweat box.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter, and while I disclose my invention .in the form which I consider the best, 'I do not limit my invention to such forinfbecause it maybe embodied in other forms, and it is to be understood intend to cover my invention in it may be embodied. v

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings which form a part of this specification and in which: I 1

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my invention taken on line l--l of Fig. 4, showing a patientsupported in a reclining position therein.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of my invention taken on line -2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of my invention taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of my invention, partly broken away to show certain features of construction.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on line l-l of Fig. 4 illustrating the cover of my sweat box.

Fig. 6 is an enlargedfragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line l-l of Fig. 4, of the foot end of the bed, showing how said end of the bed is detachably mounted in the sweat box.

Fig. 6a is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line l-l of Fig. 4, of the head end of the bed.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary face view of the head end wall of my sweat box, showing the openings through which are extended the wires and switch of the electric heating circuit of my sweat box and showing the cover for the switch whatever form' opening.

that in and by the claims "of this specification "I 55 Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and -10 are a perspective of two of my sweat boxes arranged-side by side with a man in one box and a woman in the other box taking sweat baths. l

Fig. 11 shows a head member for the bed.

Fig. 12 shows a clamp bar for the head member. Fig. 13 shows an adjustable seat bar.

Fig. 14 is a cross-section .on line M-l4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is another view of the cover and supporting frames shown in Fig. 5, parts being broken away.

'Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are'de signated by the same reference numerals in all of the views, my sweat boxinclu'des a box I formed with-a bottom wall-2 mountedon swivele'd casters 3, side walls 4, head end wall 5, ffoot end wall 6, and a canvas top wall or cover '7. Asteamgenerator ,8 is supported on said bottom wall, and a false bottom 9 is mounted on said "bottom well ,over said steam heating unit. A bed it is mounted in the'box i above said false bottom. An electrical heating circuit H, controlled by a switch l2, supplies heat to said steam generator 8.

To the edges of the bottom wall I are secured angle irons 13, with the horizontal flanges of said angle irons extending under the bottom wall and the vertical flanges of said angle irons extending upwardly over the edges respectively of said bottom wall. The lower edges of the end Walls and 6 rest upon the bottom wall I against the inner sides "of the" vertical flanges of the angle irons [3 along the ends, respectively, of said bottom wall. 3 and 4 rest upon the bottom wall 1 against the inner sides of the vertical flanges of the angle irons I3 along the side edges, respectively, of said bottom wall, with the inner sides of said side walls, at their ends, resting againstv the side edges of the end walls 5 and 6, whereby said side walls are, prevented from falling inwardly. Angle irons l4 are secured on the ends of the side walls 4 so that one flange of said angle ironsfit over the side edges of the end walls 5 and 6 outside of said end walls, when the side walls and end walls are set up in position on the bottom wall I, thus forming steam tight joints between the ends of the side walls and the sides of the end walls, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. Each of the side walls 4 is made in two longitudinal sections, a lower section 15 and an upper section IS, the lower edge of the upper section being hinged to the upper edge of said lower section by a hinge ll, so that the upper section of either side wall may be swung outwardly and down, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, to permit the patient to get into or out of the sweat box easily at either side thereof. Spring slide bolts l8 are mounted on the inner side near the upper corners of the upper hinged section N5 of each side wall 4, for engagingcatches [9, in the end walls 5 and 6, respectively, of the sweat box, for detachably holding said hinged sections swung up into closed position, as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. A chain 29 is connected, at one end, to the inner end of each slide bolt l8, and at its other end, at 21, to the inner side of the upper hinged section. IS. on which said slide bolt is mounted, so thatthe patient, reclining on the bed H1 in the sweat box, may-pull the two chains 29 connected The lower edges of the side walls to the slide bolts [8 on the upper hinged section It of either sidewall 4, to withdraw said slide bolts from catches [9, in the end walls 5 or 6, respectively, and thereby release the upper hinged section of either side wall, whereupon the patient may swing down the released upper hinged section of -the side wall 4 and 'stepout of the sweat box from the side at which said upper section is swung down.

The steam generator 8 includes a steam generating chamber 22, an electric heater 23 mounted in said chamber, a steam pipe 24 leading from said steam generating chamber, and a steam condensing chamber 25,. open at the top, into the top of which leads said steam pipe, said chambers being mounted within the sweat box upon the bottom'wall I thereof. Electric current is supplied to the electric heater 23 by the heating circuit l I, through its wires 26 and 21 and switch [2, to which said wires are connected intermediate their ends, one end of said wires being connected to the terminals of the heater 23, and the other end of said wires being connected to a plug coupling 28 which may be introduced into a wall socket29. of. a conventional service circuit. The

head end wall 5 is provided with an opening 30, through which the wires 26 and 21 extend, and with an enlarged opening 3| communicating with said opening 30, through which enlarged opening 3! the switch l2 may be drawn into the sweat box, to be actuated by the patient within the sweat box, or drawn out of the sweat box, to be actuated by a nurse or an attendant outside of the sweat box. The enlarged opening 3| is normally closed by a cover 32, which is held over the outside of said opening by spring clips 33 secured to the inner side of said'cover and adapted to extend into said enlarged opening 3| and engage the edge thereof.

The false bottom 9 is pivotally mounted at its ends respectively at 34, on the upper ends of rectangular-shaped heavy-wire legs 25, the lower ends of which legs rest upon the bottom wall 8 of the sweat box, at the ends, respectively, of said bottom wall, and support said false bottom in position immediately above the steam generator 8. The false bottom 9 is shorter in length than the length of the sweat box, so that said false bottom may be moved lengthwise in one direction or the other on its legs 35, which swing correspondingly from their lower ends and on their pivots 34 with relation to said false bottom, to permit such lengthwise movement of said false bottom, until one end of said false bottom abuts against one of the end walls 4 or 5 of the sweat box, leaving a space 33 between the other end of said false bottom and said other end wall, as shown in Fig. 1, through which space 36 steam passes from the steam generator 8 under the false bottom 9 upwardly into one end of the sweat box above said false bottom. Said false bottom is of less width than the Width of the sweat box, to provide longitudinal spaces 31 between the side edges of the false bottom and the side walls 4, respectively, of the sweat box, through which spaces steam passes from the steam generator 8 under the false bottom 9 upwardly in the sweat box at its sides, respectively, and said steam is thus directed laterally from both sides of the sweat box upon the body of the patient reclining in the bed ID in the sweat box.

The bed It! comprises a head member 38, a foot member 39, a seat member 40 and a flexible bottom member 4|. Said head member 38 comprises a pair of sockets 42 and 43, secured to the inner side of the lower section l5 of each side wall 5 and 6 of the sweat box, a pair of corner posts 44, each of which is supported in a pair of said sockets 42 and 43 at one side of the sweat box, a transverse horizontal channel head bar 45 detachably mounted at its ends on the upper ends of said corner posts, respectively, and a clamp bar 46 to be received by said channel bar for clamping the head end of the flexible bottom member 4| of the bed Ill in said channel bar. The upper ends of the corner posts 44 are formed with sockets 41, respectively, to receive shanks 48 depending from the ends, respectively, of the channel bar 45, whereby said channel bar is detachably mounted on the upper ends of said corner posts. The sockets 43 are secured on the upper sections N5, of the side walls 4, respectively, above the sockets 42, and are engaged by lugs 49 on the corner posts 44, respectively, for arresting said corner posts in said sockets in position for supporting the channel bar 45 horizontally at its proper height. The foot member 39 comprises a pair of sockets 50, secured to the inner sides near the upper edges of the upper sections I6 of the sidewalls 4, respectively; a transverse channel foot bar detachably mounted at its ends in said sockets, respectively, and a clamp bar 52 to be received by said channel bar, for clamping the foot end of the flexible bottom member 4! of the bed in in said channel bar. The channel bar 5| is formed with a pair of shanks 53 depending from its ends, respectively, which shanks are introduced into the sockets 56, respectively, whereby said channel bar is detachably mounted .in said sockets. The seat member 46 comprises a transverse seat bar 54 and a pair of angle iron brackets '55 secured to the inner sides near the upper edges of the lower sections l5 of the side walls 4, respectively, of the sweat box, upon which angle bars rest the ends, respectively, of said seat bar, there being a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 56 in the supporting flanges of said angle bars to receive two pins 51 depending from the ends, respectively, of said seat bar, whereby said seat bar is adjustably supported in different positions between the head member 36 and foot member 39 of the bed It. The seat bar 54, connected at its ends to the angle brackets 55 on the lower sections 15 of the side walls 4, holds said side wall sections together between their ends in parallel relation, so that said lower sections of said side walls cannot be moved inwardly, the vertical flanges of the angle irons I3 along the side edges of the bottom wall I .preventing outward movement of said side walls. The flexible bottom member 4| of the bed is preferably a sheet of canvas which is placed over the seat bar '54, with its ends extended over and under the clamp bars 46 and 52, respectively, and said clamp bars placed in the channel bars 45 and 5| respectively, whereby the ends of said sheet of canvas are detachably and adjustably secured to the head member 38 and foot member 39, respectively, of the bed ID.

The top wall or cover I of the sweat box comprises two square frames 66 and 6| and a sheet of canvas 62 extending over said frames and partly under the same. Over the upper edges -'of the side walls 4, and the end walls 5 and 6 of the sweat box are fitted metal edge members 63 formed with internal horizontal flanges 64 extending inwardly into the sweat box a short distance below-said upper edges of said side walls and said end walls, upon which flanges rest said frames 66 and BI, the outer transverse end rails 65 and 66 of said frames, respectively, resting upon the flanges 64 of the edge members 63 of theend walls 5 and 6, and the longitudinal side rails 61 and 68 of said frames 66 and BI, respectively, resting upon the flanges 64 of the edge members 63 of the side walls 4 of the sweatbox, with the inner transverse rails 69 and 76 of said frames 60 and 6|, respectively, positioned adjacent each other in parallel relation as illustrated in Fig. '5 of the drawings. Pins H extend downwardly from the inner corners, respectively, of the'frame 66 through openings 12 in the flanges 64 of the edge members 63 of the side walls 4, respectively, whereby said frame 60 is held in position against longitudinal movement away from the end wall 5 of the sweat box when the frame GI and the canvas sheet 62 thereon are swung up as illustrated in Fig. 5. The canvas sheet 62 is provided with a head opening 13 and with a pair of arm openings 14, and said sheet is provided with a slit 15 extending from said head opening and closed by a zipper 56 when the head of'the .patient is extended through said head openin and weighted flaps I! are secured atone side to a side edge of the arm openings 1-4., .respectively, fornormallyclosing said arm openings.

The operation of 'myinvention is as follows:

To give apatlent a sweat bath in my sweat box, the top 'wall 1 of the sweat box is first folded upon itself, by swinging the half of said wall on the frame 66 upwardly over the other half of said wall on the frame 6 Land the top wall, thus folded, is lifted off the flanges 64 of the upper edge members 63 of the sweat box and moved slightly rearwardly and to one side of the sweat box and placed upon the upper edge of the foot end wall '6 and the upper edge of one of the side walls 4, leaving the upper edge of the other side wall free; the slide bolts 18 on said other side wall 4, are then withdrawn from catches l9 in the end walls 5 and 6 upon pulling the chains 26 connected to said bolts, and the upper section 16 of said side wall '4 is then swung outwardly and down on its hinge H; the patient then gets into the sweat box and the bed Ill through the upper open portion of the side of the box having the upper section [6 of its side wall 4 swung down as aforesaid, and the patient vreclines in the bed upon the canvas bottom M thereof, with his head extending out of the top of the box and above the upper edge of the head end wall 5 of the box, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings; the upper section 16 of the side wall 4 which is swung up into its vertical and closed position, and the spring slide bolts l8 are sprung over catches I9 in the end walls 5 and 6 whereby said upper section I6 is locked in its vertical and closed position on the sweat box; the top wall I, in its folded position as above described, is then shifted off the upper edges of the foot end wall 6 and the side wall 4, into the upper part of the sweat box, so that the outer transverse rail 66 of the frame 6| rests upon the flange 64 of the upper edge member 63 of the end wall 6, and the longitudinal side rails 6-1 and 68 of said frame 6| rest upon the flanges 64 of the upper edge members 63, of the upper sections .16 of the side walls 4, respectively, with the pins ll extending through the openings 12 in the flanges 64 in the edge members 63 of the upper sections 16 of the side Walls 4; the top wall 1 is then unfolded, the frame 66 and the portion of the canvas sheet 62 extending over said frame being swung on the inner transverse rail '69 of said frame 66, as a pivot, up and away from the frame 6| and the portion of the canvas sheet 62 over. said frame, as shown in dottedlines in Fig, 1, until said frame 66 and the portion of the canvas sheet 62 extending over the same are lowered into the top of the sweat box, so that the outer transverse member 65 of said frame 60 rests upon the flange 64 of the upper edge member 63 of the head end wall 5, and the longitudinal side rails 61 and 6.8 of said frame rest upon the flanges 64 of the upper edge members 63 of the upper sections l6 of the side walls 4, respectively, and as said frame 66 and the portion of the sheet 62 extendingoversaid frame are lowered intothe top of the sweat box upon said flanges 64, as aforesaid, the head of the patient with a towel around his neck is extended through said frame 66 and through the head opening 13 in the-sheet 62 over said frame, with said opening'enlarged by having run the zipper -16 to the inner end of the slit l5, whereupon said zipper is run back over said slit to said head opening 1.3 and the sheet 62 at the edge of said opening is thereby closed upon the towel around the neck of the patient as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings; the switch 12 being positioned within the box 2, is then closed by the patient in the box and steam is generated by the heater 23 in the generator 22-, which steam passes from said generator through the steam pipe 24 into the top of the condenser chamber 25 and into the sweat box below the false bottom 9, and thesteam passes from below said false bottom upwardly into the sweat box, through the spaces 31 between the side edges of said false bottom and the side walls 4 of the sweat box, and through the space 36 between the foot end of said false bottom and the foot end wall 8 of the sweat box or through a space 36 between the head end of said false bottom and the head end wall of the sweat box, according to the longitudinally adjusted position of said false bottom, which steam above said false bottom heats the air in the sweat box and supplies a moist atmosphere for the body of the patient reclining in the bed ID. The switch l2 may be opened by the patient and the steam generator 22 shut off when the heat in the sweat box becomes too hot.

While in the sweat box the patient may project his hands and arms through the arm openings 14 in the top wall I for using his hands and arms outside of the sweat box for any purpose as desired. The patient may then withdraw his arms and hands back into the sweat box through said arm openings 14 and the weighted flaps 11 will then automatically swing down over said openings to close the same.

When the patient has completed his sweat bath he opens the switch l2 and turns off the heat, and then runs down the zipper 16 to the inner end of the slit 15, to enlarge the head opening 13, and the frame 60 and portion of the canvas sheet 62 over said frame are swung upwardly on the inner transverse rail 69 of said frame and downwardly on said rail upon the frame BI and the portion of the sheet 62 over said frame, and as said frame 60 and portion of the sheet over said frame are swung upwardly the head of the patient escapes through said frame 60 and through the enlarged head opening 13 in said portion of said sheet over said frame. The patient may then pull the chains 20, connected to the slide bolts [8 on the upper section i6 of one side wall 4 of the sweat box, and withdraw said bolts from catches is in the end walls 5 and 6 of the sweat box, whereupon said upper section l6 may be swung down on its hinge I1, and the patient may then get out of the bed 10 and step out of the sweat box through the upper part of the side of the sweat box which is opened by swinging down said upper section l6 of the side wall 4, as aforesaid, I I

' The switch 12 controlling the heating circuit of the steam generator 22, when drawn into the sweat box through the enlarged opening 3| in the head end wall 5 of the sweat box may be held in a position within convenient reach of the patient reclining in the bed ID for operation by the patient, by extending the wires 26 and 2'1, connected to said switch, upwardly through the frame BI and over the transverse rails 69 and 1B of said frame GI and the frame 60, respectively, of the top wall 1, and downwardly through said frame 60 and out of the sweat box through the opening 30 in the end wall 5 of the sweat box, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The switch 28 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l drawn out of the sweat box through the opening 3! in the head end wall 5 of the sweat box, in position to be operated by a nurse outside of the sweat box.

By means Of my invention men and women may get into my sweat boxes in their respective dressing rooms and rolled in the sweat boxes into a special room where they may remain together while taking their sweat baths in my sweat boxes, after which the men and women may be rolled back into their respective dressing rooms for rubbing and dressing.

I claim:

1. A sweat box including a box, a steam generator for generating steam and discharging the steam in said box, a bed in said box upon which a patient may recline, said bed comprising a head member, a foot member, a seat member, and a bottom member of flexible sheet material secured at its ends, respectively, to said head member and said foot member and extending over said seat member.

2. A sweat box including a box, a steam generator for generating anddischarging steam in said box, a bed in said box comprising a head member, a foot member, a seat member, and a flexible sheet bottom member secured at its ends, respectively, to said head member and said foot member, said seat member comprising a seat bar extending transversely under the seat portion of said flexible bottom member, and means for supporting said seat bar in position.

3. A sweat box as claimed in claim 2, in which the means for supporting the seat bar in position comprises a pair of angle brackets secured to the inner side of the side walls, respectively, of the box, upon which brackets rest the ends, respectively of said seat bar, said brackets being provided with openings, respectively, therein, and pins extending downwardly from the ends, respectively, of said seat bar through said openings in said brackets, respectively.

4. A sweat box including a box, a steam generator for generating and discharging steam in said box, a bed in said box comprising a head member, a foot member, a seat member, and a flexible sheet bottom member, secured at its ends, respectively, to said head member and said foot member, said seat member comprising a seat bar extending transversely under the seat portion of said flexible bottom member and means for supporting said seat bar in different transverse positions under the seat portion of said flexible sheet bottom member.

5. A sweat box comprising a box, a. bed mounted in said box, upon which a patient may rest, a false bottom of less length than the length of said box, legs on which saidfalse bottom is pivotally mounted at its ends, respectively, which legs rest upon the bottom wall of said box and support said false bottom in said box below said bed, so that said false bottom may be swung longitudinally on saidlegs until one end of said false bottom engages the adjacent end wall of said box and the other end of said false bottom is spaced a short distance from the other end wall of said box, and a steam generator mounted in said box below said false bottom for generating steam and discharging the steam under said false bottom so that said steam will pass upwardly into said box through said space between said other end of said false bottom and the adjacent end wall of said box.

6. A sweat box comprising a box, a bed in said box upon which a patient may rest, a steam generator for generating and discharging steam in said box, said steam generator including an electric heater and a heating circuit controlled by a switch, said box being provided with a small opening and a larger opening communicating with said small opening, through which small opening ex-.

tachably holding said plate over said larger opening.

'7. A sweat box as claimed in claim 6 including a cover plate for normally covering the larger 5 opening in the box through which th heating circuit wires and switch are drawn as described.

MILTON A. CO'ITER. 

